The Epicureans were a philosophical group that emerged from the teachings of Epicurus, a Greek philosopher who lived from 341 to 270 BC. Epicureanism was characterized by the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain, with an emphasis on achieving a tranquil and content life through the cultivation of friendships, the study of philosophy, and the moderation of desires. The Epicureans believed that the gods were indifferent to human affairs and that the soul perished with the body, thus denying any form of afterlife.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul encountered Epicureans during his missionary journey to Athens, as recorded in the Book of Acts. Acts 17:18 states, "Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also began to debate with him. Some of them asked, 'What is this babbler trying to say?' Others said, 'He seems to be advocating foreign gods.' They said this because Paul was proclaiming the good news of Jesus and the resurrection."

Paul's engagement with the Epicureans and other philosophers in Athens highlights the cultural and intellectual diversity of the city, which was a center of learning and philosophical discourse. The Epicureans, with their materialistic worldview, would have found Paul's message of the resurrection and the existence of a personal, involved God to be quite foreign and challenging to their beliefs.

The Epicureans' emphasis on the material world and their denial of an afterlife stood in stark contrast to the Christian doctrine of resurrection and eternal life. Paul's message in Athens, as recorded in Acts 17:22-31, addressed these philosophical differences by proclaiming the nature of the one true God, who "does not live in temples made by human hands" (Acts 17:24) and who "has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed" (Acts 17:31).

Paul's approach to the Epicureans and other philosophers was marked by a respectful engagement with their ideas, yet he remained firm in his proclamation of the gospel. His speech on Mars Hill (the Areopagus) serves as a model for Christian apologetics, demonstrating how to communicate the truth of the gospel in a context that is often skeptical or hostile to its claims.

The encounter with the Epicureans in Athens underscores the broader challenge faced by early Christians in presenting the gospel to a world steeped in diverse philosophical traditions. It also highlights the transformative power of the Christian message, which offers hope and meaning beyond the temporal pleasures and material concerns emphasized by Epicurean philosophy.1 Corinthians 15:32
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantages it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
Nave's Topical Index

The Ministry of Paul in Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth.
... of matter; [105:1] whilst the Epicureans maintained that the universe arose out
of a fortuitous concurrence of atoms; [105:2] and therefore Paul announced his ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter vii the ministry of.htm

Paul in Athens.
... and displeased, that a barbarian, for such they accounted Paul, should presume ... We
are informed, that "certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xx paul in athens.htm

Paul at Athens
... the instructor of Epicureans and Stoics, and to possess a knowledge of the Divine
which they lacked, were daring. But how calmly and confidently Paul makes them ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/paul at athens.htm

Epicureans.
... EPICUREANS. The disciples of Epicurus, who flourished about AM3700. ... When Paul was
at Athens, he had conferences with the Epicurean philosophers. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/epicureans.htm

The Apostle of the Gentiles.
... the Epicureans said that it was of no use to vex themselves in this life, but that
they might as well enjoy themselves while they had time. St. Paul was well ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson xxii the apostle of.htm

Berea and Athens
... Among those who encountered Paul in the market place were "certain philosophers
of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics;" but they, and all others who came in ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 23 berea and athens.htm

But Since Celsus Has Declared it to be a Saying of Many Christians ...
... who babble about the subtleties of Plato; and with the Epicureans, who call ... altogether
without help, is shown by that genuine disciple of Jesus, Paul, when he ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xiii but since celsus.htm

Then, Distinguishing Between Essence and Generation, He Declares ...
... These charges are now brought against Paul's follower by the new Stoics and Epicureans,
who "spend their time in nothing else," as the history says of the ...
/.../section 9 then distinguishing between.htm

The Heresies of the Apostolic Age.
... Hence we find ancient writers speaking of the heresy of the Stoics, the heresy of
the Epicureans, and the heresy of the ... [200:2] The Apostle Paul, when speaking ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter iii the heresies of.htm

St. Justin Martyr (Ad 166)
... from heaven to guide them, they were divided into a number of different parties,
such as the Epicureans, and the Stoics, who disputed with St. Paul at Athens ...
/.../chapter iii st justin martyr.htm

Does the “God gene” disprove God? | GotQuestions.org

Is Jesus a copy of Dionysus? | GotQuestions.org

Is Jesus a myth? Is Jesus just a copy of the pagan gods of other ancient religions? | GotQuestions.org

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